Greeks pay tribute to former Prime Minister Costas Simitis at his state funeral

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Mourners lined the street outside Athens' central cathedral Thursday for the state funeral for former Prime Minister Costas Simitis, the architect of Greece’s membership of the European Union’s common currency, who died on Sunday at the age of 88.

Politicians paid tribute to the late premier known for his low-key style, singling out his role in securing Greece's entry into the eurozone and helping Cyprus join the European Union in 2004. Greece’s accession to the euro came under criticism from some who considered the country’s finances not sufficiently prepared for the challenge.

“He set the bar high and boldly for a strong, equal Greece in Europe,” Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said in her eulogy. “The accession to the eurozone and the accession of Cyprus to the European Union were brilliant achievements.”

Current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid tribute to “a fighter against the dictatorship and a worthy servant of democracy, but also a noble adversary with whom our parties managed to agree on two crucial choices: Greece's accession to the euro and ... Cyprus' entry into the European Union.”

Mitsotakis' conservative New Democracy party was the long-time main rival to the socialist PASOK party Simitis co-founded in 1974.

Simitis' funeral, which came after a four-day official period of mourning, was held with the honors of a sitting prime minister as a sign of respect. After the service in the Metropolitan Cathedral, mourners on foot followed the hearse carrying the former prime minister to Athens’ First Cemetery, the resting place of numerous notable Greeks, including politicians, musicians and artists.

In accordance with the wishes of his family, Simitis' body did not lie in state, but hundreds of members of the public who wanted to pay their respects gathered outside the cathedral. Streets in the center of the Greek capital were shut to traffic for the funeral and procession to the cemetery.

“He was a prime minister (who was) a modernizer, he reformed Greece,” said Apostolos Xilogiannis, who joined the crowd outside the cathedral. “He brought a different air, he said few words and produced results. He meant what he said.”

A committed pro-European, Simitis served two consecutive four-year terms as prime minister from January 1996 to March 2004 — a record for longevity for a Greek administration. He emerged as the leader of a modernizing wing of PASOK who often clashed with the party leader at the time, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, before eventually succeeding him in 1996.

Simitis considered Greece’s entry into the eurozone in January 2001 as the signature achievement of his premiership, but he also helped secure the 2004 Olympic Games for Athens and presided over a vast program of infrastructure building, including a new airport and two subway lines to help host the games.

Another of his main achievements was helping Cyprus, an island nation divided between an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north, join the European Union in 2004, overcoming wariness by some Europeans concerned over allowing a divided country into the bloc.

Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides was among the mourners at Thursday’s funeral. On Sunday, he praised the late prime minister as an “outstanding leader” who has earned a special place in the history of not only Greece, but also of Cyprus.

Simitis, a low-key pragmatist, often clashed with the charismatic, fiery populist Papandreou. When the profligate first four years of PASOK party government from 1981 to 1985 resulted in a rapidly deteriorating economy, Papandreou elevated Simitis to finance minister to oversee a tight austerity program.

Finances improved and inflation was partly tamed, but Simitis was pushed to resign in 1987 when Papandreou, eyeing an upcoming election, announced a generous wages policy, undermining the goals of the austerity program.

The socialists returned to power with Papandreou still at the helm in 1993, but he was ailing and finally resigned the premiership in January 1996. A tight two rounds of voting among the socialist lawmakers unexpectedly elevated Simitis to the post of prime minister, a post he held until 2004.

Born on June 23, 1936, Simitis was the younger son of two politically active parents. His lawyer father Georgios was a member of the left-leaning resistance “government” during the German occupation from 1941 to 1944 and his mother, Fani, was an active feminist.

Simitis studied law at the University of Marburg, in Germany, in the 1950s, and economics and politics at the London School of Economics in the early 1960s. He later taught law at the University of Athens. His elder brother Spiros, who died in 2023, was a noted legal scholar in Germany.

Lefteris Pitarakis and Demetris Nellas in Athens contributed

Pallbearers carry the coffin of former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis during his state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Military officers stand next to the Greek flag-draped casket during the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Relatives and officials attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Military officers accompanied the Greek flag-draped casket during the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The family of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister, his wife Daphne Simitis, left, daughters Fiona, center, and Marilena attend the state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Relatives and officials attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

From left to right Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotakis attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis delivers a eulogy during the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Pallbearers carry the coffin of former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis during his state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Relatives and officials attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Relatives and officials attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pays his respects to the wife Daphne Simitis, left, daughters Fiona, center, and Marilena of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister, during the state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Pallbearers carry the coffin of former Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis during his state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

Relatives and officials attend the state funeral of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister of Greece in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

The family of the late Costas Simitis former Prime Minister, his wife Daphne Simitis, fifth left, daughters Fiona, fourth left, and Marilena third left, sit next to the Greek flag-draped casket during the state funeral in Athens' central cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

FILE - Then Greek Premier Costas Simitis, waves to ruling Socialist party's congress delegates shortly before the start of his speech in Athens on Thursday June 27, 1996. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports. (AP photo/ Aris Saris, File)

FILE - Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis declares a razor-thin victory over conservative opponents following general elections, in Athens on Monday, April 10, 2000. Costas Simitis, a Prime Minister of Greece from 1996 to 2004 and the architect of the country's joining the common European currency, the euro, has died at 88, state TV ERT reports.(AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Conn Smythe favorite Mitch Marner had a natural hat trick in the second period to help the Vegas Golden Knights build a four-goal lead over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 4-0 advantage didn't last, as Carolina answered with four goals in the third period to force overtime for the second straight game. Carolina overcame a 2-0 deficit and won Game 2 in overtime when Seth Jarvis scored during a power play 3:56 into the extra frame.

Despite a total of 13 shots for both teams, neither could score in the first overtime, with Vegas goalie Carter Hart stopping six shots and Carolina's Brandon Bussi making seven saves.

It's Carolina's seventh overtime game of the playoffs, and Vegas fifth trip to extra time.

Tomas Hertl broke a scoreless tie midway through the second, after Vegas opened the stanza by having two goals overturned by challenges.

Marner’s first goal came when he gathered a loose puck near the boards and fired a backhander into the crease, where Carolina defenseman Sean Walker accidentally deflected the puck past Frederik Andersen.

Less than four minutes later, Marner gracefully deked around Andersen and slipped the puck into the net with relative ease to make it 3-0.

Then, with a little more than three minutes left in the period, the 10-year veteran blasted a shot from the right circle, triggering throngs of hats being thrown on the ice. It was the fastest natural hat trick in Stanley Cup history at 6:10.

“I can’t do it by myself, that’s for sure,” Marner said during a television interview between periods. “All five guys have been on a great page. I’ve liked our line’s play for the last month.”

Marner also assisted on Hertl’s goal. His four points are tied for the most in a single period since 1919.

Marner’s 28 points are the most by any player in NHL history in his first postseason with a new team

The 29-year-old has 10 goals in 19 playoff games with the Golden Knights. He had 13 goals in 70 playoff games during his nine years with Toronto.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, left, celebrates his goal as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker, right, skates behind during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner, right, scores on Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner celebrates his goal with defenseman Shea Theodore, an own goal by the Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker, during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, right, stops a shot by Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final series Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)